Shorthanded Saginaw Spirit look to get back on track in Thursday's game against the Windsor Spitfires

That list of Saginaw Spirit scratches is long, and it’s not getting much shorter.

Spirit head coach Todd Watson ran through the list sitting in his office Tuesday night after a 4-1 loss to Erie to begin the second half. It’s a list that can be broken into two categories. There’s the suspended: Garret Ross, Tyler Murovich and Cody Sol, following a Dec. 5 brawl with the London Knights. And there’s the injured: Peter Hermenegildo (knee), Matt Braun (shoulder), and most recently Joe Pleckaitis, who left Tuesday’s game with a back and shoulder injury.

“You’ve just got a lot of factions there,” Watson said after Tuesday’s game. “We’re trying to get everyone together there.”

Ross and Murovich will return from suspension for today’s game against the Windsor Spitfires. They will help the Spirit look to get back on track after losing seven of their last eight to end the first half of the season, and their first game of the second half.

The second half of Saginaw’s season starts quickly, with four games in six days. Following today’s game, Saginaw returns home for a Saturday game against Kitchener, followed by a road game Sunday at London.

But in Watson’s eyes, it’s not the second half of the season as much as it is the third quarter. He has often analyzed the season by breaking it down into four, 17-game portions of the seasons. And the suspensions and injuries will go a long way toward determining how Saginaw fares in the third quarter.

“The first quarter we did well, the second quarter we struggled,” Watson said on the Spirit radio show Monday. “I see a little bit of ups and downs in this third quarter. We’re still fighting the suspensions, the injuries, we’re getting guys back.

“We’re looking at this quarter to be a trying time.”

Telegin at World Juniors

Saginaw Spirit forward Ivan Telegin has earned a spot on Team Russia’s roster for the IIHF World Junior Championships, where he has been competing for the past week.

Telegin left Saginaw for Sasketchewan Dec. 19, to join the team he later earned a spot on. Telegin is the youngest player for team Russia. He has recorded one shot on goal in a pair of wins and a loss to Sweden.

Team Russia will play its final contest of group play today, and sits in second place of its group. Telegin’s return to the Spirit will depend on how team Russia fares in the elimination portion of the tournament.

Drake visits The Dow

Minutes after holding the Stanley Cup above his head on June 4, 2008, Dallas Drake skated off the ice of Pittsburgh's Mellon Arena. He hasn't looked back.

Fifteen months into retirement, Drake, a 15-year NHL veteran, said he's enjoying retirement, during a visit to The Dow Event Center for Tuesday's game between the Spirit and the Otters.

"I knew I wasn't going to play anymore,” Drake said. “I was ready to retire. People ask me if I miss it, and I miss being around the guys, but I don’t miss playing. I look forward to spending time with my family.”

Drake was on hand to sign autographs, take photos, and perform the ceremonial puck drop. He drove in from his home in Traverse City, where he is part-owner of the Traverse City North Stars of the NAHL.

Had the Red Wings not won the Stanley Cup in 2008, Drake may have been inclined to return for his 16th season. But after the Wings won, he opted to go out on top.

"I can't really describe or tell you what I was feeling,” Drake said of holding up the cup. “I was just elated. It's something you dream of, carrying that thing around. As a kid, growing up, playing street hockey, you envision yourself carrying the Stanley Cup around."

Spirit Spotlight

Upcoming Schedule

Saginaw at Windsor

Puck Drops: 2 p.m. Thursday

Radio: WSGW-FM 100.5

Watch Thursday's game free online: Spirit fans can watch Thursday's game between Saginaw and the Windsor Spitfires live, for free, on the Ontario Hockey League’s Web site, as part of a three-day promotion. To watch, log on to ontariohockeyleague.com, click the “OHL Live Stream” button midway down the page, and enter the access code “ohltv”. The game starts at 2 p.m.

Notes: Saginaw visits the league-leading Spitfires for the first time this season, after splitting the first two games of the series in Saginaw. The Spitfires will still have four players gone at the World Juniors, and Saginaw will have a pair of forwards returning from suspension. But the road will still be tough for Saginaw, a team that hasn’t won in Windsor since Valentines Day 2008.

Kitchener at Saginaw

Puck Drops: 7:11 p.m. Saturday

Radio: WSGW-FM 100.5

Live Chat: Join Saginaw News sports writer Kyle Austin at mlive.com/spirit during the game to receive live updates from The Dow, ask questions and interact with other fans.

Notes: The Spirit will be looking for payback from the teams’ Oct.. 2 meeting, when Saginaw took held a 5-3 lead midway through the third period, only to give up two goals in regulation and a game-winner 47 seconds into overtime to take the loss.